


Shared interests

by makesometime



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: (book club it's book club time), 18-Month Time Gap (Rusty Quill Gaming), Art Criticism, Canon Asexual Character, Established Relationship, M/M, Set during the timeskip, Sharing a Bed, and sharing interests, of a sort, with spoilers for ep 167
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26126464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makesometime/pseuds/makesometime
Summary: It would be a bald-faced lie to say he’s reading, even if he’s currently happily ensconced in bed, book open in his lap and pretending to do just that.Zolf knows he’s putting up a good act, turning the pages and tracing his eyes over the words in a perfectly unassuming way. But then he’s always been good at suggesting that he's not paying attention to what’s going on around him. You learn that sort of discretion, on a ship.
Relationships: Zolf Smith/Oscar Wilde
Comments: 16
Kudos: 81





	Shared interests

**Author's Note:**

> My first up-to-date-with-canon fic! I couldn't resist (spoilers follow for a fun little moment in the latest episode but no explicit references to it until my notes at the end).

It would be a bald-faced lie to say he’s reading, even if he’s currently happily ensconced in bed, book open in his lap and pretending to do just that. 

Zolf knows he’s putting up a good act, turning the pages and tracing his eyes over the words in a perfectly unassuming way. But then he’s always been good at suggesting that he's not paying attention to what’s going on around him. You learn that sort of discretion, on a ship.

So no, he's not reading. 

But he's pretty sure he's hiding that he’s been watching his bedmate for the past half hour instead.

Given his previous sluggish pace, Zolf didn’t expect Oscar to make it to the end of his own book tonight, especially considering he was later to bed and tried to distract Zolf with a series of particularly heated neck kisses. But _something_ has happened in the past few pages that’s made Oscar speed up.

(And Zolf knows exactly what that is.)

He’s aware quite how good the, uh, _climax_ of this Campbell is. It’s why he suggested this particular story, when Oscar begrudgingly asked to read one in some sort of love-beholden attempt at sharing his interests.

Start with the greatest hits, Zolf thought. Get him hooked, prove him wrong.

Zolf all but holds his breath as Oscar turns the final page, rubs a thumb over the outer cover and shuts it without a word.

Then he exhales heavily, passing his hand over his forehead and shutting his eyes as he slips down in the bed, covers bunching under his arms a little.

“Fuck.”

Zolf tries not to smile. “What?”

Oscar’s head turns, but he doesn’t open his eyes, not yet. Zolf allows the smile to grow.

“It’s fucking good, Zolf.”

“Ha!” The little noise of triumph almost surprises him, bitten off as he pushes himself to rest on his hip and stare at Oscar, to drink in the look of resignation in the man’s lovely eyes. “I told you. I told you!”

“I can’t believe it. I _enjoyed_ a Harrison Campbell.” He grimaces, tossing the book towards the foot of the bed. “I’d…” He swallows, looking for all the world like there’s a bad taste in his mouth. “I’d even go so far as to say that I’d like to read another.”

Zolf tries his very hardest not to crow. But his very hardest is, unfortunately, not hard at all. 

“I knew it! You were all ‘Oh, no Zolf I couldn’t possibly read such trash, I’ll forget what good literature looks like.’ And look at you now!”

Oscar sighs again, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes with a little too much force. “I don’t know what’s worse. Proving you right, or liking a Campbell. Do I deserve either fate? Perhaps you should just end me now, surely it can’t get worse.”

“Oh hush up, you.” Zolf smirks, reaching out to shove at Oscar’s shoulder.

Oscar’s hand shoots up to tangle fingers with Zolf’s before he can pull away, the man’s thumb tickling against the tender edge of his palm. “You’re going to be insufferable.”

It’s instinctive to deny it, but he knows himself better than that, and so does Oscar. "Probably."

Oscar groans, flopping onto his left side away from Zolf and tugging the covers up before Zolf can sneak a look beneath them. 

Oscar really _does_ know him well. 

"Look, I promise not to make a habit of it if you'll talk with me about them." He tries, because he doesn't want Oscar to go to sleep angry at him, even if it's over something silly. "Never had someone to share them with. Hamid thought they were stupid. Sasha didn't give two shits and I'm not sure Bertie could even read."

Oscar stays still, but some of the tension in his shoulders lessens, so Zolf knows there's headway to be made. "It would be nice. To share an interest."

"Oh, be more begrudging, I _dare_ you."

This draws a faint chuckle from the man, so Zolf drags a fingertip down the (thankfully less pronounced) line of Oscar’s spine, watching in faint fascination as goosebumps rise in the wake of his touch. Oscar shivers a moment and then flops over onto his back once more to stop Zolf from reaching his ticklish spots.

“I’m just pouting. My world has been turned upside down tonight, you realise?”

“Oh poor you.” Zolf snipes, but the width of his smile and the tender look in Oscar’s eyes softens the blow of it. “Having your snobby assumptions proved wrong.”

“I’m simply unaccustomed to being wrong.” Oscar gives a hum. “In that, at least, I thought we might have common ground.”

Zolf chuckles, moving his hand to Oscar’s jaw because it’s late and he’s no reason not to touch his lover as much as he wants. “Charming sod.”

Oscar tips his chin up in a gentle invitation, which Zolf meets with a press of his lips and a swipe of his tongue. “About that you can’t claim to have been deceived.”

A fair point, which Zolf knows better than to attempt to argue. He walked into this relationship with open eyes and an open heart for the charismatic bastard. And even as the world falls down around them, he hasn’t regretted that for an instant.

“What was your favourite part?” He asks, trying to keep the hopeful tinge out of his voice.

“Well if you want to go beyond the part where Claudette rode her love like a prize stallion - which, let’s be honest, is half the appeal - I suppose…” Oscar falls into thought for a moment, before visibly lighting on something. “I particularly enjoyed the nuance of the scene where they were talking at cross purposes in the library. It was very artfully done, without being too on the nose.”

Zolf grins around the swell of contentment in his chest. “And it ties back to the earlier chapter where she overhears the gossip and takes it the wrong bleedin’ way.” 

“Exactly! It should all feel telegraphed from a mile away but there’s something about Campbell’s handling of it that… well.” Oscar huffs, shaking his head. “I might be drawn upon to say it was quite masterful.”

Zolf feigns a frown, pressing his palm to Oscar’s forehead. “You _sure_ you didn’t catch a chill in the rain?”

Oscar pulls his hand away and down to press a kiss to his palm. “ _Very_.”

It’s all too easy to give in to the continued downward tug on his arm, and allow Oscar to pull him in close. Zolf rests his head on Oscar’s chest with a sigh of contentment, enjoying the relative novelty of being the one held.

“You’re gonna love the sequel.” He says, spreading his palm over Oscar’s belly just in time to feel his sharp inhale.

“There’s a sequel??”

**Author's Note:**

> It was satsifying to write Oscar swearing. Not gonna lie. 
> 
> (AND. Oscar _bloody loves_ Harrison Campbell does he? What's that adopted lexicon all about Jalexander? You know what you're doing. We all see it.)


End file.
